Outlook for Air Transport to the Year 2015 - FILT CGIL Foggia

Chapter 2AIR TRANSPORT TRENDS AND CHALLENGESECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND AIRLINE TRAFFIC PATTERNS1. From a long-term historical perspective, air transport has experienced greater growth than most otherindustries. Since 1960, increasing demand for passenger and freight services, rapid technological developmentand associated investment have combined to multiply the output of the air transport industry by a factor of nearly30 in terms of TKPs. This expansion of air transport compares favourably with the broadest available measure ofworld output, the global GDP, which when measured in real terms has multiplied by 4 times over the same period.2. Economic theory and analytical studies indicate that there is a high correlation between the growthpatterns of air traffic and economic trends in that the demand for air transport is primarily driven by economicdevelopment. Developments in personal income affect the level of consumer purchasing power and thepropensity to undertake leisure travel. Commercial activity and trade have a direct impact on the demand forbusiness travel and for air freight. Figure 2-1 provides evidence of the relationship between the strength of theeconomy and traffic demand by illustrating the fluctuations in the rate of growth of each for the period 1960 tothe present. The impact of economic slowdowns and recessions on air traffic trends is clearly visible during thefollowing years or periods: 1974–75, 1980–82, 1990–91, 1998 and 2001 (the latter coupled with theunprecedented events of 11 September).3. Between 1992 and 2002, worldwide scheduled traffic, measured in TKPs, grew at an average annual rateof 4.9 per cent, compared to a 3.0 per cent GDP growth. While the pattern of traffic growth over that period wasgenerally a reflection of economic conditions, the impact of recent event-related developments on air traveldemand (events of 11 September 2001, war in Iraq and the SARS outbreak) indicate that the air transport industryis sensitive to safety and security concerns and so-called fear and hassle factors which influence consumerconfidence.4. Other factors that have affected traffic demand include airline costs, and hence fares and rates, regulatorydevelopments and the access to air and tourism services. Rapid growth in the 1960s coincided with thereplacement of piston-engine aircraft with jet aircraft which led to reduced real fares and increased speed andcomfort of travel. In addition to an adverse effect on the world economy, sharp changes in the price of oil andaviation fuel (such as in 1973–1974 and further escalation during 1979–1981) have had important effects onairline costs.TRENDS IN SCHEDULED PASSENGER, FREIGHT AND MAIL TRAFFIC5. Over the decades, the growth experienced by the total demand for air transport has been shared to avarying extent by each of its major components — passenger, freight and mail traffic. The average growth rate foreach of these components has declined since the 1960s as shown in Table 2-1. The gradual decline in mail traffichas been particularly severe, partly because of increasing competition from telecommunications.5